Old Time Sprague BULPLATE printed circuit module Help!

[Guest]

Greetings,

I have a radio that has a flat four lead square sprague BULPLATE brand
(I think) encapsulated printed circuit module in it. It appears to be
kind of an ancient IC in a flat square package with the same stuff
that is on the outside of disc capacitors covering the good bits
inside. The Sprague part number is TR14-1 I pulled out a old version
of 1959 Radio Master and it lists some of these in the Sprague section
and their equiv circuits but this one must be newer than 1959. I
suspect that the module might have a transistor inside but am not
sure. It has a transistor shaped lump on the back under the coating.
If anyone has an old Sprague catalog that lists these,I would greatly
appreciate if you could post the equivalent circuit for this strange
but neat little guy. Thank You, Thank You, Thank you in advance! PS
if anyone happens to have one of these, I would really like to
purchase it from you. Please email me.

((0) -^- (0))
[email protected]

 

[Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\]

Greetings,

I have a radio that has a flat four lead square sprague BULPLATE brand
(I think) encapsulated printed circuit module in it. It appears to be
kind of an ancient IC in a flat square package with the same stuff
that is on the outside of disc capacitors covering the good bits
inside. The Sprague part number is TR14-1 I pulled out a old version
of 1959 Radio Master and it lists some of these in the Sprague section
and their equiv circuits but this one must be newer than 1959. I
suspect that the module might have a transistor inside but am not
sure. It has a transistor shaped lump on the back under the coating.
If anyone has an old Sprague catalog that lists these,I would greatly
appreciate if you could post the equivalent circuit for this strange
but neat little guy. Thank You, Thank You, Thank you in advance! PS
if anyone happens to have one of these, I would really like to
purchase it from you. Please email me.

Four leads? Power, ground, input and output. That's about it.

Most of those guys that I've seen are passive, they're usually an RC
low-pass filter and blocking caps and bias resistors, and that's about
all. Anything other active part was assumed to be replaceable, so it
was not potted ineide the ceramic, but left outside. The lump you see
might be a tantalum or other capacitor.

 

[Guest]

In the book that I have, it shows the discreet components for each
type of BULPLATE and MULTICOMP module. Was really looking for the
values of the discreet componets so I can make a module myself if I
can't locate the original.

Here is an example the modules for use in old Predictas. (he calls
them networks)

http://www.wadictatv.com/networks.html

http://www.wadictatv.com/philco6.html

He only has schematics for a couple of the sprague modules though and
nothing on the one I have in my radio. If someone out there has about
a 1965 Radio Master catalog or sprague catalog, I bet it is in there.

 

[Mark Zenier]

In the book that I have, it shows the discreet components for each
type of BULPLATE and MULTICOMP module. Was really looking for the
values of the discreet componets so I can make a module myself if I
can't locate the original.

Here is an example the modules for use in old Predictas. (he calls
them networks)

http://www.wadictatv.com/networks.html

http://www.wadictatv.com/philco6.html

He only has schematics for a couple of the sprague modules though and
nothing on the one I have in my radio. If someone out there has about
a 1965 Radio Master catalog or sprague catalog, I bet it is in there.

The Sams Photofact for a model that uses them often has the network
schematic.

Mark Zenier [email protected] Washington State resident

 

[Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\]

In the book that I have, it shows the discreet components for each
type of BULPLATE and MULTICOMP module. Was really looking for the
values of the discreet componets so I can make a module myself if I
can't locate the original.

Here is an example the modules for use in old Predictas. (he calls
them networks)

http://www.wadictatv.com/networks.html

http://www.wadictatv.com/philco6.html

He only has schematics for a couple of the sprague modules though and
nothing on the one I have in my radio. If someone out there has about
a 1965 Radio Master catalog or sprague catalog, I bet it is in there.

Yeah, like I said, they are passive, with no active discrete parts
inside (not discreet). Some of them have lumps for the resistors, and
some have resistive strips painted onto the ceramic substrate so it's
more or less flat where the resistor is.

If you make your own, one thing that's important for long term operation
is that phenolic PC board is not the best thing to use. After being
exposed to the heat of the tubes for hundreds of hours. the phenolic may
start to turn brown and the resistance goes down. When it gets close to
the resistance of the other parts, the network may no longer work
correctly. So it's best to use either the green PC board or else do as
he showed and don't use any circuit board at all.

 

[Ed Engelken]

He only has schematics for a couple of the sprague modules though and

nothing on the one I have in my radio. If someone out there has about
a 1965 Radio Master catalog or sprague catalog, I bet it is in there.

=======================================
I checked both the 1963 and 1965 Master's and it isn't listed. Only a
few of the 179 different BULPLATES they make are listed in Master's.
You will need to locate a Sprague catalog to get a listing all of
them. Hopefully, someone still has one!

Best Regards,

Ed
Canyon Lake, TX

 

[Guest]

Ed,

Thank you so much for checking for me. That is awsome that you have a
1963 and 65 Master. I love those things. I can't count the number of
times in a year I still use it.

Anyone out there have an old dusty sprague catalog? Please look up
TR14-1 for me. I would really love to get this radio fixed

 

[Alan Douglas]

Hi,

Anyone out there have an old dusty sprague catalog? Please look up
TR14-1 for me. I would really love to get this radio fixed

It might also be in the Centralab "P.E.C. Guide" if someone has a
later edition than No. 5 (ca. 1958). That one has a manufacturer's
cross-listing but the Sprague TR-14 is not there.

73, Alan

 

[Brian McAllister]

On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 22:25:46 GMT,

Greetings,

I have a radio that has a flat four lead square sprague BULPLATE brand
(I think) encapsulated printed circuit module in it. It appears to be
kind of an ancient IC in a flat square package with the same stuff
that is on the outside of disc capacitors covering the good bits
inside. The Sprague part number is TR14-1 I pulled out a old version
of 1959 Radio Master and it lists some of these in the Sprague section
and their equiv circuits but this one must be newer than 1959. I
suspect that the module might have a transistor inside but am not
sure. It has a transistor shaped lump on the back under the coating.
If anyone has an old Sprague catalog that lists these,I would greatly
appreciate if you could post the equivalent circuit for this strange
but neat little guy. Thank You, Thank You, Thank you in advance! PS
if anyone happens to have one of these, I would really like to
purchase it from you. Please email me.

((0) -^- (0))
[email protected]

Have you found the info on this packaged circuit? If not, what is the
make and model no. of the radio. Sams sometimes showed the discrete
component equivalents of these in their schematics.


Brian McAllister

Sarasota, Florida

email bkm at oldtech dot net [email protected]